Which to use
“feilen” is a verb and “Fetten” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #33,041
- “feilen” frequency rank
- #8,709
- “Fetten” frequency rank
- 41750
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feilen | Fetten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit einer Feile bearbeiten | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Fett |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set feilen and Fetten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: feilen is [ˈfaɪ̯lən] while Fetten is [ˈfɛtn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41750, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feilen is recorded at frequency rank #33,041, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯lən]. Fetten is at rank #8,709, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛtn̩].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 41750, this pair ranks #1,470,225 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of feilen vs Fetten
Shared letters: efn. Private to "feilen": il. Private to "Fetten": t.
"feilen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "Fetten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feilen" and "Fetten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "feilen" or "Fetten"?
Remembering feilen vs Fetten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “feilen”; for a noun, it's “Fetten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “feilen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable